The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

However, the fixer wasn’t without countermeasures.

It wasn’t as though we were playing a turn-based game; the moment one realizes they’re in a crisis, a response is mandatory.

During the process of being kidnapped by Kang-hoo, the fixer realized he had definitely taken a hit.

He cleanly admitted to being caught by Kang-hoo’s strategy and had finished calculating to expose his left shoulder.

The idea was to twist his body as much as possible since there wasn’t enough time to use a defense skill.

Instead of exposing his shoulder, the fixer used that time as an opportunity for a counterattack.

What Kang-hoo unfolded was precisely oxidation, a skill that could also be selected as a basic skill at level 200.

Depending on the preference of the black mage hunter, one could choose among oxidation, ignition, or exhaustion. The fixer chose ‘oxidation’.

Kang-hoo prepared to thrust a dagger into the fixer’s heart, linking it with a beheading skill.

He wouldn’t just let it happen, though; the target was clear. It’s cleanest to cut off the breath in one go.

Just then.

‘As expected.’

He hadn’t thought he would only be on the receiving end, and sure enough, a red light sparked from the fingertips of the fixer.

It was enough to realize that he had no intention of being gracefully defeated, whatever the skill might be.

‘Can’t be satisfied with the first spoonful.’

Kang-hoo wasn’t too greedy.

It’s arrogant to think of ending the battle with one strike against a quick-reacting black mage.

However, since the fixer seemed to have finished planning to expose his left side, he decided to take the result.

Pwook!

“Kuhuk!”

The moment a dagger pierced about a finger’s depth into the fixer’s left shoulder, Kang-hoo immediately withdrew it.

Then, using the fixer’s body as a stepping stone, he pushed off with his foot and leaped backward. He had evaded.

The next moment.

Fsssst! Tssss!

‘As expected.’

Where Kang-hoo had been, a circular green space appeared, bursting into flames along with smoke. It was the oxidation skill.

‘It seems he chose oxidation at level 200. Well, it does have the highest lethality.’

The expectation was spot on.

In exchange for exposing his left shoulder, the fixer aimed for his life. It was a chillingly rational judgment.

Thanks to focusing on the change that occurred at his fingertips, what if he had been intoxicated by the success of his strategy?

He would’ve been shaking hands with Jeon Jong-du, whom he had killed not long ago, in the afterlife.

“Kuh. That’s quite something. It hurts?”

“Just do one thing at a time. Either show pain or act as if it’s nothing.”

“It’s damn painful. This has a tremendous bleeding effect… It’s not easy to stop the bleeding.”

Kang-hoo was confident about bleeding.

The bleeding effect was important because it delayed clotting and could suppress or reduce the opponent’s healing ability.

It was a very important option for hunters and quite rare.

The higher you go in the world of top hunters, the harder it becomes to find a ‘bleeding dealer’.

Especially necessary for catching boss monsters that don’t die due to their formidable healing abilities.

Without it, strategizing was absolutely impossible. Not even if hundreds like Jang Si-hwan came.

‘It’s better to disturb the balance in advance.’

Kang-hoo spontaneously changed his mind. Originally, he had planned to aim for another chance to strike like now.

But seeing the fixer’s calm and swift response, his thoughts changed.

He saw a need to create a physical imbalance in him, to significantly increase the likelihood of psychological cracks.

In other words, it was necessary to deliver undeniable damage, even if he wanted to ignore it.

Snap!

Flicking his fingers.

【Blood Flower】

Puffff-Bang!

From the bleeding left shoulder of the fixer, a beautiful flower of red blood blossomed.

The explosion was so powerful that the fixer, who boasted a somewhat muscular physique, was sent fluttering like a paper doll.

Of course, Kang-hoo wasn’t merely standing by idly after deploying the Blood Flower skill.

【Abduction】

Another Abduction attempt ensued.

However, it was thwarted by the wall of demons that the fixer had erected just moments before.

He had positioned his body behind the demon’s wall.

Since Kang-hoo had anticipated this blockage and prepared a skill combination in advance, a second plan was swiftly enacted.

【Hallucination】

【Shadow Step】

The strategy involved using Hallucination and Shadow Step in tandem.

Although the Hallucination’s duration was brief, at 0.2 seconds, it was an inevitable trigger, leaving the fixer with no choice but to be affected.

“Kut…!”

The vision momentarily induced by the Hallucination depicted a surreal scene where the world seemed to melt away like ice cream.

Owing to that, he was unable to track all the shadows darting across his field of vision, and this time, he missed one.

In that instant, Kang-hoo unveiled an option he had never utilized in actual combat before, one he had reserved for a special occasion.

【Master of Manipulation】

A skill of manipulation that he naturally acquired after defeating Cha So-hee and seizing the constellation.

It was a skill that enabled him to replicate one of the opponent’s skills and use it at 25% efficiency.

The mana consumption was substantial, and the chance to replicate a skill recently used by the opponent wasn’t always advantageous, but the timing was perfect.

At this moment, the most recent skill employed by the fixer was ‘oxidation.’

It was also the ideal skill to replicate.

Pah!

At that moment, Kang-hoo, utilizing Shadow Step, moved to a position out of the fixer’s sight.

【Master of Manipulation – Oxidation】

Then, after pinpointing the fixer’s location, he executed the oxidation skill.

He immediately rushed toward the fixer with a leap, as it took time for oxidation to properly activate.

“Hmph!”

This time, as if noticing Kang-hoo’s approach, the fixer snorted and unleashed a skill with his right hand.

Suppression Chain.

A skill that only black mage hunters could obtain through skill books, it entangles the opponent with an opaque, grayish-white energy.

It was a type of binding skill, where the duration varied with the anti-magic stat, but complete immunity was impossible.

As soon as Kang-hoo was caught, a signature skill of black mage hunters, deep purple flames, exploded.

The deep purple flames that enveloped Kang-hoo’s entire body caused an instant chain ignition.

Fortunately, he had previously activated a protective level 2 skill; otherwise, he would have been instantly burned to death.

Thanks to the protective level 2, the deep purple flames were cleanly neutralized.

And then.

Sizzle!

“Aaaaack!”

The oxidation skill, entering with a delay, melted away part of the fixer’s right side and some of his internal organs.

It all happened in an instant.

“…?”

The fixer looked down at himself with a half-dazed expression.

This skill was the oxidation skill.

The basic skill at level 200 that he himself used. But now, that skill had been turned against him by Kang-hoo.

Does this mean the assassin has the ability to replicate skills? It was utterly incomprehensible.

Even the cautious and astute fixer had never considered that his own skill could be turned against him.

If the opponent had been from the magic domain, perhaps, but skill replication on an assassin? It didn’t seem to fit at all.

First pierced through the shoulder, enduring it, but the second time there was no turning back.

Pwook!

Then, another strike from Kang-hoo, launching an extra dagger with lightning speed, hit its mark again.

“Shi, shi…….”

Pain surged from his abdomen, so intense he couldn’t even complete his words.

The sensation of his entire body stiffening was extremely unpleasant.

The fixer clumsily reached into his pocket with his right hand and retrieved a bag of white powder.

Whether it was a drug or a stimulant, it appeared to be designed to work in conjunction with the constellation ‘Drug King’.

“That won’t work.”

Kang-hoo, having anticipated the fixer’s counterattack and maintained his distance, swiftly closed the gap once more.

The fixer, reeling from consecutive hits, found it impossible to concentrate.

Furthermore, as a dagger thrown at lightning speed struck his right shoulder, both of his arms were effectively incapacitated.

Losing the use of both arms, vital for a black mage’s precise control, was tantamount to a death sentence.

Whir! Thud!

Ssssh! Thud!

Kang-hoo, keeping an appropriate distance, continued to hurl additional daggers with incredible speed.

Even from afar, Kang-hoo clearly possessed the means to inflict significant damage.

“Kuhuk. Huak. Uhak…”

With each dagger that landed, the fixer struggled to keep his balance, staggering backward.

But that only lasted for a moment.

Upon the impact of the third dagger, he finally fell backward, unable to stand any longer.

Kwoong!

“Kuluk!”

Falling headfirst without bracing himself properly, the fixer coughed up dark red blood.

His abdomen was shredded, barely holding together, no longer able to support his body.

Twuk.

The bag of white powder, which the fixer failed to consume in time, dropped to the ground.

Kang-hoo looked down with disdain and remarked,

“Reporting a drug addict is the solution. Was it 125?”

“Kuhuk! Huak…”

And with that, it was over.

Overcome by the overwhelming shock, the fixer died on the spot from cardiac arrest.

In a fitting end for his first appearance, he died with a smile on his face, resembling a madman.

“Not a pig’s head for a ritual offering, but one might think he died content.”

Pwook!

Kang-hoo drove a dagger into the fixer’s heart to ensure his death.

I was 99% sure he was dead, but such lunatics sometimes wake up momentarily only to die again.

Hunters refer to this as a “lasting effect,” a phenomenon not uncommon among those of the black mage type.

Four constellations aligned themselves to come under Kang-hoo’s control.

It was a moment that underscored the formidable power of the Dimension Plunderer.

No one other than the Dimension Plunderer could take another hunter’s contracted constellations without any loss.

It was no coincidence that Kang-hoo had chosen her as his main constellation. There simply was no better option.

The constellation abilities held by Disaster – Darkness were far less rare and versatile compared to those of the Dimension Plunderer.

【Guardian of the Dark Sanctuary】

【Grants the ability to convert 25 mana into 1 unit of dark energy. However, only 1 unit of dark energy can be generated per minute.】

“It feels like gathering dust to build a mountain, but this is the way to start accumulating dark energy. Quite the unexpected case.”

Dark energy will prove to be of high utility value in the future. It’s a stat almost nonexistent among other hunters.

If he can plunder dark energy skills and gather them, they will be very useful.

【Corrupted Prophet】

【In exchange for completely eradicating emotions, it increases a specific stat by 100.】

“I’ll consider this one optional and hold off for now.”

There’s a vast difference between being worn down by emotions and having none at all.

Kang-hoo, though cold in some respects, wished to retain warmth in others.

A minimal amount of emotion is necessary. Life devoid of joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure isn’t just bland; it’s utterly uninteresting.

【Drug King】

【When inhaling or ingesting narcotic drugs, combat efficiency progressively increases up to 10 levels.】

“A constellation for drug addicts. Shouldn’t such constellations be expelled from the grand battles?”

He chuckled.

A constellation that maximizes combat power in exchange for drugs, but adhering to its concept might reduce the contractor’s lifespan.

Perhaps the Drug King constellation doesn’t intend for its contractors to live long.

【Lady of Light】

【Provides an experience buff matching the numerical date of each month.】

“That’s interesting.”

Thus, the Lady of Light constellation was acquired.

He acquired four unique constellations.

An unexpected battle with the fixer ensued. And so, Kang-hoo created another turning point.

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